Business owners, welders, ranchers and even a circuit court judge make up the motley crew of the 200-plus cowboys and cowgirls expected to participate in the 31st annual Ocala Shrine Rodeo this weekend, Aug. 30-31.

What links them all is their passion for the sport.

"It is one of the only professional sports where you have to pay to play. As long as you plunk down your $100, you can compete," said Ruben Lamb, organizer of the annual event.

The rodeo benefits Shriners Hospitals, which treat children with burns, orthopedic problems, spinal cord injuries and cleft lips and palates.

The rodeo has raised more than $1.5 million over the years.

Competitor William Hallman is addressed as "your honor" or "judge" during the week. But on the weekend, he's simply "Bud."

Hallman, 60, is a circuit court judge based in Bushnell in Sumter County who made a comeback to the professional rodeo circuit a few years ago.

He retired the first time in 1991 after 20 years on the rodeo circuit, but in 2008, as part of dare, he returned. In 2009, he won the steer wrestling division for the Southeastern region of the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association and became the oldest person to qualify for the national tournament.

But he's never won the Shrine Rodeo.

"I've always wanted to win the Shrine," Hallman said. "It's one of the most prestigious rodeos in Florida. It's one of the big five, and in my opinion is right up there at No. 1."

Sabra O'Quinn, who owns Fiddler's Trailers in Ocala, agrees.

"I think it's one of the best rodeos in the state. It's awesome because they have a packed house every night," said O'Quinn, who has competed in the Shrine Rodeo since it began and has won the barrel racing portion in 1984, 2006 and 2012.

These days, the Ocala rodeo attracts about 6,000 fans each year, Lamb said.

"We raise more money for the hospitals than a lot of other larger Shrine clubs and temples," he said. "We don't hold back any money for the next year's rodeo. When the dust settles, we pay our expenses and write a check to the hospitals for the rest."

While the weekend action is the draw, the major focus is on getting the Shriners Hospitals' message across.

Those participating also are keenly aware of what the rodeo benefits.

"That's one of the best parts of the rodeo. Everything is going for a good cause, and it helps with the energy of the crowd," Hallman said.

The rodeo is a sanctioned event of the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association and is part of the association's southeast circuit. There are cash prizes for the top finishers, which comes from the fees the participants pay.

The prize money hovers around $1,000 for the top finisher, but after expenses and entrance fees, not much is left.

"There are some cowboys who can make a living. The more talented, the farther you can go, but you always have some cowboys that have a day job and just live for the competition. You can say they work in order to be able to rodeo," Lamb said.

Participants also are subject to injury, sometimes serious.

Every discipline has its own set of injuries. Saddle-bronc riders, who force their hands into a handle strapped around the horse, suffer from wrist, elbow, shoulder and neck injuries from the thrashing they take aboard the bucking horse.

Steer wrestlers suffer lower-body issues from ankle, knee and hip injuries. They brace their legs against the ground as they try to stop a charging steer while they hang onto the animal's neck.

Barrel racers are subject to violent falls as the women make sharp turns around barrels aboard horses traveling at an all-out gallop.

But the most dangerous event is bull riding, where not only the intensity of the ride can cause injuries, but the animal can go on the offensive and sometimes prove deadly.

"You may make your qualified ride, but that's when the real danger gets started. You have to untie and get off the bull. You may land upside down with the bull on top of you," Lamb said.

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